21 states Will Raise Minimum Wage For Workers In 2015

Posted By
Urban News Hour |
December 29, 2014

In 2015, 21 states will raise their minimum wage. Approximately 4.4 million people will see their pay go up for the new year.

The increases across 21 states will put an extra $2.5 billion in workers’ pockets in 2015 even though a bill backed by President Obama, to raise the federal minimum to $10.10 an hour is stalled in Congress amid Republican opposition.

Eight states, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia have passed legislation the last two years, while Four of the states, Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota approved ballot initiatives in November to increase the minimum wage.

New York will see their hourly rate jump from $8 to $8.75, while the wage will rise in New Jersey from $8.25 to $8.38. Pay in Washington, D.C., goes up by a dollar on Jan. 1, to $10.50, which EPI estimates will affect about 100,000 workers. Wages in Oakland and San Francisco go up to $12.25

After these increases are implemented, 29 states (as well as a number of cities and smaller municipalities) and 60% of all U.S. workers will have minimum wages above the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, as this map from EPI shows: